FOR CHILDREN

By LAUREL GRAEBER

Published: November 16, 2007

FOR CHILDREN

'THE CAT WHO WENT TO HEAVEN' (Tomorrow) At least one of the cats involved with the jazz in this production is the kind that meows instead of scats. Nancy Harrow, the creator of the jazz-and-puppet show ''Maya the Bee,'' has returned to Culture Project with a new theater piece based on the Newbery Medal-winning book by Elizabeth Coatsworth. It's all about a struggling Japanese artist and the mysterious cat that seems to change his fortunes. At noon, 55 Mercer Street, SoHo, (212) 352-3101, cultureproject.org; $20.

'COMPOSERS ARE US' (Sunday) Even children who have no experience with classical music will recognize and respond to the composers of this program: themselves. Bruce Adolphe, host of the Meet the Music! series of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, will lead concertgoers 6 to 10 in creating a story and developing a score to go along with it. Then a trio of musicians will perform the work's world premiere. At 1 and 3 p.m., the Kaplan Penthouse, 165 West 65th Street, (212) 875-5788, chambermusicsociety.org; $15.

'KEEP THE BEAT' (Tomorrow) You may have heard Robbi K, whose full name is Robbi Hall Kumalo, singing backup for famous artists like Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Diana Ross and Jewel. In this concert, though, she is front and center, with African, Latin and reggae tunes. At 11 a.m., Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org. Tickets in advance: $15; $10 for children. Day of show: $18 and $13. Members: $10; members of Just Kidding Club, $6.

KIDS 'N COMEDY (Sunday) The class clown gets applause, not detention, at this series, in which comics ages 11 to 18 perform stand-up. The shows are recommended for children 9 and older, but there's no need to worry about appropriateness (profanity is banned), or knock-knock jokes. (These dudes are sophisticated.) At 1 p.m.; $15 with a one-soda minimum. The Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street, Chelsea. Reservations required: (212) 877-6115, kidsncomedy.com.

KIKU FOR KIDS (Today through Sunday) These days families need travel no farther than the Bronx for a taste of Japan, as the New York Botanical Garden offers children's programs in conjunction with the exhibition ''Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum.'' The activities in the Everett Children's Adventure Garden include making fish prints and origami cranes, and tomorrow and Sunday, every hour, young visitors can also don kimonos and experience a tea ceremony. Today, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., and tomorrow and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road, Bedford Park, (718) 817-8700. Admission (includes the grounds and the conservatory, as well as the children's garden): $18; $16 for students and 65+; $5 for 2 to 12; free for under 2.

'RAVEN STOLE THE SUN' (Tomorrow) Raven is a sly, deceitful figure in American Indian mythology, but somehow he often manages to benefit humankind anyway. In this dance-theater production by Red Sky Performance, Raven sets out to steal the Sun, Moon and stars but ends up bringing light to the world's peoples. At 2 p.m., National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, 1 Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan, (212) 514-3700, nmai.si.edu; free.

'THE RED BALLOON' AND 'WHITE MANE' (Today through Thursday) Chasing dreams -- whether in the form of a wayward balloon or wild horses -- is explored in shorts by the French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse. ''The Red Balloon'' (1956) stars Pascal Lamorisse (the director's son, then 6) as he follows the balloon through Paris. ''White Mane'' (1953) deals with cowboys on a quest in Provence. Both have been restored, and ''White Mane'' features new English narration. Daily at 1, 2:40, 4:20, 6 and 7:40 p.m., Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street, west of Avenue of the Americas, South Village, (212) 727-8110, filmforum.org; $10.50; $5.50 for under 12, members and 60+.

'THINGS THAT GO BANG!' (Tomorrow and Sunday) The Lolli-Pops concerts from the Little Orchestra Society, for ages 3 to 5, use friendly animal characters like Bang, Bow, Buzz and Toot to introduce music: in this case percussion. But while little listeners may never have heard of Anderson, Tchaikovsky, Britten and Gershwin, the instruments at this concert are bound to be familiar: pots and pans and other household implements. Tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. and noon, Sunday at 1 and 2:30 p.m., the Kaye Playhouse, 68th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues, (212) 971-9500, littleorchestra.org; $40.

'TOBIAS TURKEY: A THANKSGIVING TALE' (Sunday) This mini-musical, presented by the Shadow Box Theater, features storytelling and puppets to dramatize the life of Tobias, a turkey with determination. He is also reported to be funny, and you have to respect a turkey who can keep his sense of humor around Thanksgiving. At 3 p.m., Brooklyn Music School Playhouse, 126 St. Felix Street, near Hanson Place, Fort Greene, (212) 724-0677; $10.

UNCLE ROCK (Tomorrow) Robert Burke Warren, a k a Uncle Rock, should know how to make music for children: He's a former stay-at-home dad and former member of rock bands. A current star among the young, he is inspired by sources like Roald Dahl and Shel Silverstein. At 1 p.m., the Living Room, 154 Ludlow Street, at Stanton Street, Lower East Side, (212) 533-7235, livingroomny.com; $8; $5 for children.

'THE VELVETEEN RABBIT' (Sunday) Margery Williams's poignant story about a toy rabbit that becomes real through a boy's love and a fairy's magic comes to the stage via the Enchantment Theater Company. With a score by Don Sebesky, this show also features puppets, masks and magic of its own. At 2 p.m., Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn College, Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, Flatbush, (718) 951-4500, brooklyncenteronline.org; $12.